Eagles place two in Open

Chadron State women’s wrestling team finished out its first regular season with two placements at Midland Open, Saturday in Fremont.

Karstin Hollen, freshman of Mesa, Arizona, and Madison Martinez, freshman of Fremont, were the two to place for the Eagles.

Martinez faced only one opponent from Iowa Western Community College (IWCC), Iliana Yanez-Perez, freshman of Oakland, Iowa, and pinned her both times. She took first after pinning her opponent in under one minute the second time they faced one another.

Martinez said it felt good to finish with another first place since it was her last time competing.

“I’m glad that I got to end my season with wins in my hometown,” she said. 

Hollen went 3-2 at 143 pounds to finish second, pinning the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) 16th ranked wrestler for one of her wins. 

In the 136-pound bracket, Ryleigh Dye, freshman of Queen Creek, Arizona, went 2-1 for the tournament to advance herself as the top half of her bracket but she had to default her consolation semifinals match due to an injury.

In the 101, both Kinsey Smith, junior of Windsor, Colorado, and Taylor Lindstrom, freshman of Rapid City, South Dakota, went 1-2, each winning in consolations but taking a loss in the consolation semis. Smith’s win was a decision battle against York College’s No. 13 Ella Whitaker, sophomore of Lyons, 20-19.

“Kevin (Kinsey Smith) had an incredible match,” Martinez said. “She scored 20 points on a girl, which is absolutely unheard of and goes to show that it was a tough match.” 

Kamila Montenegro, sophomore of Las Vegas, faced three NAIA-ranked wrestlers. She pinned her first opponent, ranked 12th in 4:53, before taking falls to IWCC’s No. 4 Yarissa Gallo, freshman of Homestead, Florida, and Midland University’s No. 15 Jasmin Ballesteros, sophomore Tijuana, Mexico. 

The Eagles move into their postseason with the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Coalition (NCWWC) Regional Championships on Sunday and Monday in Lebanon, Illinois.

Unfortunately, Martinez ended her season at the Open because regionals and nationals doesn’t have a heavyweight class. She said she wished they did because she feels like she would be able to compete well.

“Next year, I hope to compete at 191 because I don’t think that they will add a heavyweight bracket,” Martinez said. “I know that the other girls are excited to compete against other NCAA schools, rather than NAIA.”

Martinez said the postseason will still have the team lifting and wrestling, and possibly improve the team’s flexibility and mobility.